Rotary-valve mechanism for engines



M r h 22 1927.

a c R. M. LOVEJOY ROTARY VALVE MECHANISM FOR ENGINES Filed Oct. 28. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor- Ralph MLovejoy BY-M A1101?) eys.

March 22, 1927.

R. M. LOVEJOY ROTARY VALVE MECHANISM FOR ENGINES Filed Oct. 28. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 DZVG'H i0r- R 01,212 M Lavejoy A florn 9ys.

R. M. LOVEJOY ROTARY VALVE MECHANISM FOR ENGINES March 22, 1921, 1 1,621,732

Filed 06. 28. 1921 s Sheets-Sheet s Ralph M Lovejoyr W-WQM1W Afton] eys.

Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

NITED STATES RALPH M. LOVEJUY, MEREDITH, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ROTARY-VAIJVE itnona'ivrsiu roe enemas.

Continuation of vapplication filed November 14, 1916, serial No. 131,335, new Patent No; 1,468,722. This application .Lfitzed October 28, M21. Serial No. 510,995.

This invention relates to improvements in valve mechanisms for engines and one of the objects thereof is to provide an air-cooled rotary valve for controlling; the intake or exhaust ot' the engine cylinder.

'lhe presentapplication is a continuation of my Patent No. 1,460,722, filed November 14-, 191-6, for llrllfiOVQlD-Ghlifi in internal comburtion engines.

More specifically the invention relates to improvements in rotary valve constructions for high speed internal combustion engines,

' i are used in flying machines, racing oiles, motor boats, and the like, in it is necessary to charge the cylinder which with an explosive mixture very quiclrly and correspondingly to exhaust the products of combustion very rapidly. This has heretofore been usually accomplisl-ied by providing the cylinders and pistons with large inlet and exhaust ports, and in some instances with a plurality of inlet ports and exhaust ports, or both. The valves for such ports have i-isually been of the reciprocating type and powerful springs have been required to insure the proper functioning oi the valves. When in use the excessive pounding oit the valves soon destroys the co-operating faces oi the valves and valve seats and causes loss of power by the escape ol the unexploded combustible mixture and also the escape of the expanding gases which form the products of combustion. Furthermore, the high dcgree'ot heat developed by the rapidly eX- ploding charges and the rapid hammering of the valves soon causes a deterioration of the valve springs which causes them to crystallize and break, thus either reducing the etfi'ciency of the engine or putting them entirely out of commission.

ll am aware that rotary valves for internal combustion engines have heretofore been employed, but so far I am aware allsuch valves have been fitted in apertures bored in the cylinder walls and are defective in open )1! because on the unequal expansion, under running conditions, of the valves and the walls by which they are enclosed.

One or: the principal'objec-ts of the present invei tic-11 is to provide a rotary valve which will not be enclosed by the cylinder wal and of which a substantial part will be exposed to the air at all times and cooled thereby. Desirably the valve 'is provided with supplemental heat radiating members to aid in dissipating the heat absorbed valve from theburning gases and from the cylinder walls.

Another object or the invention is to pro vide :a novel construction for internal combustion engines in which the cylinder is provided with a single port with which the intake port for the fuel and the superimposed exhaust pipe for the products of combustion may be caused to communicate through suitable ports in the rotary valve.

A. further object of the invention is to provide the central shaft of a rotary valve for controlling the port of the cylinder of an internal combustion engine with a thrust bearing adapted to resist the force of the explosion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary valve for internal combustion engines of the type described with means for yie-ldab'ly supporting the valve out off frictional contact with the valve seat whereby more free rotation oft the valve will be acquired.

'lhtese and other objects and features of the invent-ion will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the claims.

A preterred embodiment of my invention is illustrated more .or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings as applied to a reciprocating multi-cylinder engine of a usual type, certain of the improvements disclosed in my prior application also being shown.

in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial vertical sectional view of an engine embodying the invention, the various mechanisms being shown, for convenience of illustration, in the same vertical P a Fig. 2 is a perspective view, mainly in section, of a portion of the cylinder, the intake and exhaust conduits, and the rotary valve in co-operative relation to the exhaust, and illustrating also graphically the means tor rotating the valve;

Fig 0 is a letail horizontal sectional view through the rotary valve and its casing showing the valve establishing communication between the cylinder and intake conduit;

Fig. is a plan view of the cylinder head valve and valve casing showing the position of the valve at the commencement 0% exhaust; H

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of a sufficient portion of the cylinder and rotary valve mechanisms of a multi-cylinder engine to illustratethe application of the presentinvention thereto.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings comprises a four-cylinder engine, each of the cylinders of which is equipped with a preferred form of rotary valve mechanism, all of the cylinders being supplied with the hydrocarbon mixture from a usual type of manifold.

The engine shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing comprises the usual frame forming a two-part crank case, the lower part 1 of which forms a receptacle for a pool of oil and the upper part 2 of which serves to sup port the cylinder 3 which is provided with the usual water jacket 4 which desirably extends also across the cylinder head. The piston 5 is connected by the pitman 6 to the crank 7 of the usual crank shaft 8 which is journalled in suitable hearings in the frame (not shown) and serves to transmit the power of the engine in the usual manner. It will, of course, be understood that each of the several cylinders of the engine, as illustrated in Fig. 5, similarly supplies power to the common crank shaft 8. The rotary valve for controlling the supply of fuel to the cylinder, and which also preferably controls the exhaust, is actuated from the crank shaft 8 through a train of gears 9, 10 and 11,, the latter of which rotates a shaft 12 which is journalled in suitable bearings in the casing and is provided with a mitre gear 13 which meshes with a complementary mitre gear 1% which is fixedly secured upon a shaft 15 of the rotary valve. The valve shaft or stem 15 desirably is journalled in bearings disposed in parallelism with the axis of the piston, but may be located otherwise to con form to the type of cylinder employed.

As shown herein the upper portion 2 of the crank case is provided with a horizon-- tal flange or web 16 having a. boss 17 forming the lower journal for the valve shaft 15 and the outer wall of the water jacket 4 is provided with an elongated boss 18 which forms the upper journal for said shaft. The upper end of the shaft 15 preferably has a conoidal portion 19 which enters a corresponding conoidal recess in the hub 20 of the rotary valve 21, and the valve is secured upon said conical portion by a nut upon the screw threaded. end of the valve shaft 15.

The rotary valve preferably is in the form of a disk, the flat under face 22 of which is in co-operative relationto the llat wall of the port 23 of the cylinder. In the preferred construction shown herein the charge is introduced into the cylinder and the products of combustion are discharged from the cylinder through this port. It is preferably much larger than the usual admission or exhau'st ports to permit both charging and exhaust of the cylinder quickly through the charging and exhaust ports of the rotary valve. The rotary valve 21 preferably has a vertical annular flange 24; which extends throughout the greater part of its circumference, but merges into a curved web 25 which rises fromthe base of the valve to its periphcry and provides a lateral port 26 adapted to communicate with the end of the intake manifold 27 which preferably extends across the cylinder head and may if desired be cast integral therewith to insure rigidity of construction.

The valve 21 is so designed that the port 26 presents an elongated recess adapted to establish communication between the cylinder port 23 and the intake 27 a suficient length of time to enable the cylinder to be fully charged at each rotation of the valve. During the remainder of rotation of the valve the flange 24: closes the end of the intake conduit, and the lower face 22 of the valve closes the port of the cylinder. In order to prevent the escape of gaseous fuel from the recess forming the port 26 of the valve an annular wall 28 is provided which fits closely upon the annular flange 24:. This annular wall 28 desirably is formed integral with the main body of the cylinder.

The rotary valve 21 is also provided with an exhaustaperture 29 which preferably is in the form of an elongated opening concentric with the axis of the valve. The wall of the exhaust port comprises a portion of the flange 24 and a flange which is continuous therewith and extends upwardly to the same height as the flange 2ft. The exhaust port thus formed may discharge the products of combustion directly to the atmosphere, but preferably discharges into a suitable exhaust pipe. As illustrated herein the exhaust pipe 31 is in the form of a casting bolted to the cylinder head and provided with lateral extensions 32 and 33 which overlie the valve and extend a suliicient distance to prevent the escape of burning gases by any other course than through the exhaust pipe 31.

Preferably the center of the port of the exhaust pipe is in alinement with the center of the cylinder port so that the products of combustion are discharged directly into the exhaust pipe through a straight and uninterrupted passage.

It will be observed that by reason of the construction herein disclosed the greater part of the valve 21 is exoosed to the atmosphere so that it will be air-cooled. In order to increase the radiating surface which is exposed to theatmosphere a number of heat radiating units, such as bossesv or vanes 34., are formed integral with or secured to the outer face of the valve. These radiating members may, if desired, be so formed as to reenforce the portion of the valve which is subjected to the shockof explosion. In order to insure freedom of movement of the valve at all timesthe valve 21 preferably is susta-ined slightly out of engagement with the valve seat'22, and the force of the explosion is resisted by athrust hearing which acts upon the stem of the valve. Preferably one of the members of the thrust bearing is made adjustable so that the position of the valve relatively to the valve seat may be accurately adjust-ed and resilient means acting upon the thrust bearing i-ioriually hold the valve out of engagement with the valve seat. It will, of course, be understood that the valve fits very closely adjacent the valve seat so that there will be no appreciable escape of the gaseous fluid inrroduccd into the cylinder, or the products of combustion which are ex pelled therefrom, and to this end it is do: 1 able that the valve shall be first ground upon the valve seat and" then lifted by the resilient means just enough to eliminate frictional engagement between the valve and the val e seat.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein the valve is supported by anti-friction thrust bearings which comprise abearing ring which is seated in the lower end ofthe boss 18 and a complementary bearing ring; 36 which is seated in an internally screw threaded collar or nut 37 which engages complementary screw threads upon the valve stein 15. By adjusting the collar or nut- 37, therefore, the posia tion of the valve relatively to the valve seat may be accurately determined. A look nut 38 also screwed upon the valve stem 15 serves to lock the collar or nut 37 in adjusted posi tion.

The valve is normally held free from its seat by a helical spring 39' which surrounds the valve stem 15 and at its upper end abuts against the lock nut 38 and at its lower end is seated upon a flange 40 of a sleeve 41 which is slidably mounted upon the valve stem 15 and is connected thereto by a pin seated in said valve stem and extending into a slot in said collar. The lower face of the flange 40' forms theupper race of a ball bearing, the lower race 43' of which is scated in a suitable recess in the boss 1'? in which the valve ste1n'15 is journalled.

An explosive mixture may be supplied to the intake manifold 2-7 by any suitable means, such as a usual form of carbureter. Preferably. however, the explosive mixture is supplied through a carburetor 14: of the type disclosedin my prior application No. 131,335 aforesaid, now Patent No. 13605722.

111 the operation of the engine the valve 21 is rotated from thecrank shaft at the required speedwhich may be either constant or variable according to the type of gearing interposed between the crank shaft and the shaft or stem of the valve-to bring'the admission port 26 in communication with the intake 27 just as the piston is about to begin 4 its intake stroke; The p'ort26 preferably extends peripherally around the valve a suitici'ent distance to establish communication between the intake conduit and the port of the cylinder during the: entire intake stroke of the piston and the lat under face of the valve cuts of? such communication immediately at the end of the intake" stroke.- The piston is then returned by the momentum of the usual rotating parts, thus causing a compressionof the explosive mixture which is isnited' in the usual manner by the spar-h from a spark plug 15 which is located at a convenient point in the upper clearance space of the cylinder. At the time the explosion takes place the solid portion of the disk valve between the inlet and outlet ports covers the port of the cylinder and the force of the explosion which is exerted upon the valve is takenup by the thr ,st hearing between the lower end of the boss 18 and the nut 37 which is secured upon the piston stem or shaft 15. The piston is then driven down wardly upon its w rking stroke. Upon the exhaust stroke of the piston the valve 21 will have rotated suihciently to bring the e'xhaust port of the valve into communication with the port of the exhaust manifold 31 from which it may be Qonducted either directly to the air or through a mother.

The present invention particularly adapted for use in li-igh speedv engines in which the pistons reciprocate with great rapidity. The rapid rota ion of the valve with its heat radiating unitcauses the valve to be cooled rapidly. This radiation is fur ther increased Where the engine applied to a vehicle which travels at high its of speed. In fact, the radiation is sufiicicntly rapid tomaintain the valve cool without the necessity of water iacketiug it.

By the use of a rotary valve of lLlIQCllQlfacter above described the disadvantages arising from the reciprocating valves, such as the wearing away ofthe valves the ln'cakage ofval'vc springs, etc, above pointed out, are entirely eliminated. Furthermore, the engine can be eriven at any speed since the rotary valve will co opcrate properly with the intake and exhaust at any speedwhich can be obtained by the reciprocating piston.

By holding the valve out of frictional contact with its seat and proi' id'ing an antifriction thrust bearing for the valve shafts to absorb the shock imposed upon the valve by the force of the explosion substantially a llresistance tot'he freerotation of the valve is eliminated 7 It will be observed that the general construction of the engine and of the valve is exceedingly simple and that the mechanisms can be assembled and replaced Without diliiculty,

llll) It will be understood that the present embodiment of the invention is of an illustrative character and not restrictive and that various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder having a single port and an intake conduit arranged to deliver an explosive mixture to said port an exposed, aircooled, rotary disk valve having a flat base normally covering said cylinder port and provided with a cylindrical peripheral flange, a conduit leading through said base and flange presenting a port adapted to es tablish communication between said cylinder port and said intake conduit.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder having a single port'and an intake conduit arranged to deliver an explosive mixture to said port an exposed, aircooled rotary disk valve having a fiat base normally covering said cylinder port, and provided with a peripheral flange and a conduit leading through said base and flange presenting a port adapted to establish communication between said cylinder port and said intake conduit and an exhaust port extending directly through the flat base of said valve adapted during the rotation of said valve to register with said cylinder port to permit the discharge of the products of combustion.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder having a port, an exposed aircooled rotary valve having a port adapted to co-operate with said cylinder port and resilient means for supporting said valve out of frictional engagement with the wall of said cylinder port.

4. An internal combustion engine compris ing acylinder having a port presenting a flat wall, a rotary disk valve provided with a flat base in co-operative relation to the flatwall of said cylinder port and having a port adapted to cooperate with said cylinder port and resilient means acting upon said shaft to support said valve out of frictional engage ment with the wall of said cylinder port.

5. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder having a port, an intake conduit and means to deliver an explosive mi xture to said cylinder through said port including a disk valve having a central shaft and provided with a port adapted to co-opcrate with said cylinder port, a thrust hearing for said shaft adapted to resist the force of the explosion and resilient means rotatable with said shaft for maintaining the members of the thrust bearing in contact and act ing also to support the valve out of frictional engagement with the wall of the cylinder port.

6. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder having a port, an intake conduit and means to deliver an explosive mixture to said cylinder through said port in cluding a rotary disk valve having a central shaft and provided with a port adapted to co-operate with said cylinder port, a thrust bearing for said sha- 't adapted to resist the force of the explosion, resilient means for maintaining the members of said thrust hearing in contact and acting also to support said valve out of frictional engagement with the wall of the cylinder port and means for adjusting said thrust bearing whereby said valve may be accurately positioned rela tively to said cylinder port.

7. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder having a port, an intake conduit for an explosive mixture terminating in juxtaposition to said cylinder port, an exhaust pipe superimposed upon and extending for a distance along said intake conduit and having a mouth in alinement with said cylinder port, a rotatable disk valve having a fiat base in co-operative relation to the wall of said intake port and provided with intake and exnaust ports adapted successively to establish communication with said intake conduit and said cylinder and with said exhaust pipe and said cylinder.

8. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder having a port, an intake conduit for an explosive mixture terminating in juxtaposition to said cylinder port, an exhaust pipe superimposed upon said intake conduit and having a mouth in alinement with said cylinder port, a rotatable disk valve having a flat base in co-operative relation to the wall of said intake port and pro vided with intake and exhaust ports adapted successively to establish communication with said intake conduit and said cylinder and with said exhaust pipe and said cylinder, a central shaft for said valve, a thrust bearing for said shaft adapted to resist the force of the explosion and resilient means normally acting to maintain the members of, said thrust bearing in contact and also to support said valve out of frictional engagement with the wall of the cylinder port.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

RALPH M. LOVEJOY. 

